Advice from an Expert on the Importance of Establishing and Implementing Core Values

The backbone of every company is an established culture. But before a culture is established, a set of core values must be created and implemented so that employees have a blueprint to follow as they help create the distinctive environment in which a company operates. 

If anyone knows about the importance of establishing and implementing core values to create a company’s culture, it’s Tom (T.W.) Lewis. 

Lewis, founder of real estate development organization-turned-investment company T.W. Lewis Co., is an expert on how to create a set of core values from which brands can operate, so much so he has even written a book that helps working individuals establish and implement their very own core values in order to succeed in their day-to-day lives. 1851 Franchise caught up with Lewis to learn more about the importance of establishing core values and how to help your employees follow them.

1851: What is the importance of establishing core values that can guide executives at the top all the way down to managers and employees?

Lewis: Establishing values starts with a vision statement and this vision statement is basically your north star. You are establishing a set of beliefs that you uphold and portray to your employees every day. Employees want to be inspired by the people in positions above them; they want to accomplish something other than just making money and that starts with the vision. It’s important to establish values because you are creating a guide on how you want your employees to behave. And by doing that, you begin to create a brand and a style that is unique to your own business. This allows you to separate your business from the competition. 

1851: How do you encourage employees to follow and implement the brand’s core values on a day-to-day basis?

Lewis: It’s difficult to ensure that your employees are always following the core values. You can’t “police” employees to behave the way you want, but you can certainly be the example. Behaving in such a way that exemplifies your core values and interacting with your employees on a regular basis can help set you up for success. Employees are always watching what their boss is doing, so if you violate your own core values, they will notice. Lead by example, be a role model and encourage employees to live by your values. 

As time goes on, you’ll start to notice employees who follow the values and those who don’t. You then start to learn not to tolerate people who don’t exemplify and promote your values. As long as your values are inspiring and attainable, employees will comply. This all then leads to you building a culture and an atmosphere where everyone can thrive.

185!: Can you describe a few of your company's core values and how you ensure they are followed?

Lewis: Back when T.W. Lewis was in the real estate development business, we established our core values as follows: honesty, integrity, hard work, achievement, reliability and compassion. We decided to display our values on the walls of the company and it quickly became our (my own and all of the employees’) code of behavior. 

One of the core values—reliability—is a core value of mine, personally. In order to succeed as a real estate development company, it was detrimental for us to be unreliable. You wouldn’t want an unreliable company in charge of something so significant such as building your home. We made reliability an expectation of T.W. Lewis and we were able to earn the reputation of being the reliable real estate company in Phoenix. We emphasized it and we really trained our employees to exemplify it. Secondly, compassion was also a big core value within my company. I learned early on that people who are buying a home are usually pretty sensitive and are going through a lot; sometimes they are changing towns, their kids are switching schools, they’re leaving family and/or friends or leaving the home they’ve grown to love. I learned to be very compassionate with people and to help them have the best experience possible, so the process would go as smoothly as possible. We really cared about our customers and how they felt. 

1851: Why should brands be mission-driven? How does this allow them to stand out from the crowd? 

Lewis: I believe that everything a company does should be mission-driven. Employees don’t just want to be a part of a company that cares about profit, they want to belong to a company that cares about them, too. Additionally, being mission-driven allows you to show respect to your employees and your customers, which then transforms itself into success. 

To learn more about building a successful career in order to succeed in work and in life, check out Lewis’ book, Solid Ground: A Foundation for Winning in Life.